Burning question about Bounce back Weight for VSG Alum

Hi there! Not new to the site...joined as a pre and immediate post op and loved the feedback and support.

I am five years out now and I have some bounce back weight (approx. 35 lbs) that I am struggling with. My surgeon tells me that it's normal to expect some regain, and they even pointed out that I am still below the average regain amount for the number of years past my surgery. Still, it is my belief that despite my best efforts (diet and exercise) post WLS patients gain/lose weight differently once they enter maintenance. Call me crazy, but it seems to me that once I had WLS and entered the maintenance phase, my body settled on a certain weight/weight range and has hovered there forever. Has anyone else had this experience or have you run across any research to support my crazy theory? For the past three months, I have worked with a trainer and exercised on my own for a total of 3-5 days per week. My eating is reasonable (think 80/20 rule); I refuse to starve myself just to move numbers on the scale. And while I see inches leaving me and body composition changing, I just have a need to know if I'm not alone in my suspicion. Don't get me wrong...I am pleased with my results and I don't necessarily want to lose all of the 35 I have gained (10 would be a good start though). I know I may have gained some muscle in there somewhere but not enough to stay stagnant on the scale for three months (but on the flip side, I haven't gained either so I'm grateful for that).

Have you had this experience? If so, I am interested in your thoughts. If you can't relate, please do not feel obligated to comment. Thanks in advance!

You have already taken the hardest step by saying enough is enough and now I want to get back on track. I maintained 118-125 for over 10 years after losing 200 pounds. Due to a personal tragedy I gained and hit the 190 mark a year ago. After several starts it finally clicked and I am back to goal losing 60 pounds of regain. Here are some steps that helped me and I hope they will help you too! You may have several starts and stops but don't give up, don't beat yourself up. IT WILL CLICK!!!

Planning/Preparing

Remember when we were preparing for surgery? How many meetings, classes and such did we attend? We were told the more prepared we were the better our chances were for success. And they were right. Go through the house, car and work place and get rid of trigger foods. Stock up on foods that will keep you on track. I removed every bad carb/sugar temptation and replaced it with lots of protein, veggies, grains and fruits.

Journaling

Get back to journaling. This will help you identify when you feel like eating, stress factors and any triggers in your life. Once you identify these factors, this will help you put tools in place to keep you from eating. It became clear I was not taking time for me anymore. I worked my day job and then spent the rest of my time caring for my husband. It was easy to reach for fast, prepackaged food. Since I purged my home I have to eat clean as there are no other options LOL

Use a tool to track you're eating and exercise like Getting Started with Health Tracker. Once I started to track ever bite and drink it became clear why I had gained.

Goals/Rewards

Make a list of goals for yourself. Make them realistic and small. Some of mine were move more, purge all junk from my home, eat more protein.

Food

In general, a long term post-weight loss surgery eating plan includes foods that are high in protein, and low in fat?, calories, and sugar. Important, vitamins and minerals are provided as supplements. (if you had a different surgery adjust this to your food plan).

Water

Water is our Best Friend. I have to say I never went back to pop or any bad drinks, however I was drinking tea like crazy. What is wrong with drinking tea? I was either using sugar or 3 equals and 3 sweet n lows per 32 ounce glass. So I was either pushing to be diabetic or get cancer. I found once I started carrying a bottle of water around 24/7 (yes had one at my bedside) I lost the cravings for the sugar and I KNOW those artificial sweeteners are not good for me. Look I am old and if you add up all the artificial sweeteners I have consumed I am sure I am at the rat in the lab getting cancer threshold.

MOVE!

I can't say enough about how key this was for me. The reason I kept my weight off for almost 10 years was no matter what, I kept moving. If I could not go to the gym I would walk. I loved Zumba, bootcamp workouts, lifting weights. When I stopped, the weight started coming back. So for me I am starting slow to avoid injury by walking and using some of the workouts on my Demand TV. Find something you love to do and it won't feel like a pain in the *** to do daily.

Support

If it's an option "run" don't walk to a support group.

Keep me posted on how you are doing.

Thank you so much for your supportive post! Will definitely track more and make adjustments to my intake! :)

I do not agree with your belief that weight gain is inevitable. From what you're written, it definitely comes across that you let your way of eating relax once you reached your goal and to me, that's clearly the problem. It happens to a lot of people. There's the belief that losing weight will be a diet, goal will be reached, and "regular" eating can be returned to. Sadly, the new post-WLS way of eating is something that needs to be a forever thing.

So bounce back weight of any kind was not discussed with you by your doctor? So sorry that you can't relate! That's not a self-invented excuse as you imply. Bounce back weight/regain was explained to me by several medical professionals as a part of post-op. Also, since I didn't opt for plastics a portion of my extra weight is loose skin. Try to avoid assumptions about my "relaxed" method of eating...I am under no illusions about the work that post WLS involves. I would not be -144 pounds currently if I didn't know something about sacrifice and building forever habits.

I based my comment on this statement of yours "My eating is reasonable (think 80/20 rule); I refuse to starve myself just to move numbers on the scale." To me, this says, I'm no longer eating the way I was when I was in my weight loss phase. Which is not uncommon. Many people, once they reach goal and are no longer getting ALL the positive reinforcement because of losing weight, relax their way of eating.

It seems even more common in the RNY community because the malabsorption does end - so for the people who are relying on the surgery and not making lifestyle dietary changes, regain is common.

It's true for me, though, that bounce back weight was not discussed with me by my doctor. Maybe it would have been if I'd experienced it?

Shrug. You asked for opinions. Mine is that I don't believe regain is inevitable.

I have regained and lost several times in the last ten years since my initial journey started. My first visit to a weight loss surgeon was June 29, 2007.

My surgery was October 15, 2007.

My first bounceback was at 30 months and was 14 pounds. It took me several years of experiments to lose that. I finally learned that for me the only way to stay at goal is to diet. I have to count calories and protein, weigh daily, eliminate carbs, drink water, and exercise.

Weight loss for me involves staying at 900 calories to lose a pound a week. My goal is 136 and I maintain at 1400 calories a day.

Hey, we're almost twins! Our surgeries were only 2 months apart!

I don't know about you, but I weigh and log my food, still, cloely. And I find that weight gain and loss is like driving a car. Eat more, gain. Eat less, lose. Like stepping on the gas, or hitting the brake. Now, stepping on the gas is easy, and fun! Hitting the brake is not.

But because I track so closely, I know exactly what is going on. I can eat 1,000 extra calories a day, no problem. But it takes me 5 times as long to cut back 1,000 calories without feeling like I'm starving and getting irritated.

It likely too you many months to gain the extra weight. So it could take you 5 times longer to lose it without feeling deprived. You could do it faster, but it will be harder work.

I also find it easier when I detox from the carbs. They are the killers. They cause more cravings and make me more miserable in the long run. Being as close to zero carbs as I can is really hard for the first week, but then really pleasant after that.

Hang in there. It's worth it. It's harder now, but only because of our heads, not our bodies.

Great post Grim. Whether you know it or not, I try to follow your example. Great analogy - stepping on the gas or hitting the brake...so true!

I''m still a newbie but I'm with you Mike! I follow Grim's example as well and it has helped me so much. Even though I wasn't eating bad carbs my weight loss was slower than I had liked. Once I stopped listening to my NUT (about eating carbs) and listend to Grim the weight started coming off faster. Thank you Grim and to others that said not to eat carbs!